“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

You were a light when all around was dark. You were courage when others were afraid. You were persistence which wore down the granite of hatred and anger. You were an inspiration to me and countless others of my generation, who would never know the privations, the heartbreak, the injustice you suffered, but were so awed that we shared a planet and a time with someone as heroic as you. May the light you shone light the way for others. In a world filled with petty hatreds and petty divisions, may everyone who claims the mantle of leadership strive to be one tenth of the human being you were. Pumzika kwa amani, Mr. Mandela.